1

In addition to Geneva headquarters, WHO also operates in five outposted offices:

1. Global Service Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which deals with providing administrative and IT support services to all WHO offices worldwide;

2. Lyon Office in France, whose role is to monitor and evaluate national preparedness capacities for prevention, detection, surveillance and response to diseases and other major health risks;

3. WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe, Japan, which is a global research centre;

4. WHO Academy in Lyon, France, a globally accessible school offering innovative, personalised and multilingual blended learning;

5. WHO's Office in the United Nations in New York, USA, used for meetings of the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, forums, briefings and other events.

2

The WHO emblem is symbolic on many levels. The representation of the globe refers to the global nature of the WHO mission. The double laurel wreath symbolises solving problems in a peaceful way and the world map depicts the area of concern to the UN in achieving its main purpose, peace and security. The staff with the snake has long been a symbol of medicine and the medical profession, with the snake symbolising immortality and wisdom, and the staff being the attribute of the god of healing. What is more, even the colours of the logo convey a meaning: blue being a direct reference to the UN and WHO’s close relationship with it, and white symbolising the clear and peaceful sky above.

3

At the global level, World Health Day targets all the issues connected with health, and in order to do this, several programmes are organised on a yearly basis by WHO and other organisations at places like schools, colleges, or local governmental offices. Celebrating World Health Day can be done by individuals, families, schools, churches and other community organisations. It is the perfect day to take some extra steps to care for your own personal health, for example, by deciding to get a gym membership, starting a plan for healthier eating, or getting involved with local events related to World Health Day.

4

According to the World Health Organisation website, the wide‑reaching aims of World Health Day include:

“To improve understanding of universal health coverage and the importance of primary health care as its foundation.”

“To spur action from individuals, policy makers, and health‑care workers to make universal health care a reality for everyone.”

“Everyone should have the information and services they need to take care of their own health and the health of their families.”

“Skilled health workers providing quality, people‑centred care; and policy makers committed to investing in primary health care.”